Fabric napping mechanism



Oct. 27, 1964 w. N. HADLEY 3,153,336

FABRIC NAPPING MECHANISM Filed July 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l Izweiaioa' Oct. 27, 1964 w. N. HADLEY 3,153,836

FABRIC NAPPING MECHANISM Filed July 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,153,836 FABRIC NAPPKNG MECHANISM Wilfred N. Hadley, Springfield, Vt., assignor to Hadley Company, line, Springfield, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Filed July 17, 1963, Ser. No. 295,711 Claims. (CI. 2629) This invention relates to fabric napping mechanism of the general type shown in my Patent No. 2,698,476 and embodies a simplified construction wherein the napping function is effected through the interaction between the moving fabric and the napping rolls or workers, together with presser rolls or the like cooperating with the napping rolls for effecting the desired penetration of the napping needles into the fabric. Such construction is not only more economical to manufacture but, of greater importance, is more efiective for all-purpose napping and the maintenance of high speed and uniform results.

In a preferred embodiment, the napping mechanism is constructed in units each comprising two banks of vertically aligned and laterally spaced napping rolls over which the fabric is drawn arcuately about the rolls, upwardly in one bank and downwardly in the other bank, thus providing convenient inspection, conserving floor space and permitting expansion merely by the addition of further units. The presser rolls of each bank are preferably mounted in a vertically disposed frame in position to contact each such roll with the outer face of the fabric strip above the rotary axis of the respectively adjacent napping roll, whereby the presser roll by its own weight effects the desired penetration of the napping needles into the fabric. The degree of penetration can be controlled by counterb-alancing the frame and rolls and also by providing controlled resistance to rotation of the napping rolls.

A further feature of the invention relates to a novel arrangement of the napping rolls whereby a lateral napping to the left and right of the warp threads takes place and efiects penetration of the napping needles from both sides of the warp and filling threads, thus more quickly bringing out the desired nap and maintaining a higher degree of fabric strength and uniformity with less flocking out of the waste fibre. In the preferred form of the invention this novel construction comprises a slightly inclined alternate arrangement of the napping rolls to the right and left all as illustrated and hereinafter more specifically described.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a fabric napping machine embodying the invention,

FiG. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a braking mechanism for providing controlled resistance to rotation of the napping rolls.

In the drawings, and 12 indicate two sides of a frame on and within which are rot-atably supported the rotary members for conducting a strip of fabric 14 through the machine and raising a nap on one face of the fabric. In FIG. 2 I have illustrated a unit comprising two banks of vertically aligned and laterally spaced napping rolls 16, each bank comprising four :such rolls disposed in a vertically spaced series and preferably in vertical alignment as illustrated in the drawings. The fabric is moved through the machine in the direction of the arrows by drums 18 at the top and bottom ends of the banks. The fabric is guided arcuately about the napping rolls 16 by 3,153,835 Patented Get. 27, 1964 "ice rolls 20 and each napping roll is provided at its periphery with fabric engaging needles 22 extending outwardly from the roll and having hook-like free ends all pointing circumferentially in the direction opposed to movement of the fabric. The fabric is conducted upwardly about one bank of rolls and downwardly about the other \as illustrated in FIG. 2, thus providing convenient inspection, conserving floor space and permitting expansion merely by the addition of further units.

Movement of the fabric over the rolls 16 and against the sharp ends of the needles causes the needles to penetrate into the fabric, and the napping is effected when the needles, upon leaving the fabric, pull out and break the fabric threads and leave the broken ends projecting outwardly from the face of the fabric. The degree of napping is increased by further penetrating the needles into the fabric and the controlling of this penetration provides an important feature of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, I provide a presser roll 24 parallel with, extending along and disposed to contact the fabric above the rotary axis of each roll 16, thereby increasing the penetration by pressing the fabric onto the needles. The degree of penetration can be controlled by varying the contacting pressure of the rolls 24. One means of thus varying this pressure is illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the rolls 24 are mounted in a frame 26 supported on an arm 28 pivoted at 39 and counterbalanced by a weight 32. Other suit-able means for performing this function can also be employed as, for example, the providing of controlled resistance to rotation of the rolls 16 as by means of brake shoes 34 supported on a U-shaped frame 36 and adjustable by screw threaded means 38.

A further and important feature of the invention relates to a novel arrangement of the napping rolls 16 whereby a lateral napping to the right and left of the warp threads takes place and effects penetration of the napping needles from both sides of the warp and filling threads. In this arrangement certain of the napping rolls are disposed slightly inclined, to the right and left from the horizontal, and the preferred form of the invention employs a slightly inclined arrangement of the napping rolls alternately to the right and left.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 the lowermost roll 16 of the first bank is disposed horizontally, the next roll thereabove is slightly inclined to the right, the next above roll is horizontal and the top roll is slightly inclined to the left. The same alternate arrangement continues downwardly through the adjacent bank. The arrangement provides for napping at different angles with respect to the warp and filling threads which are disposed right-angular to each other. Thus penetrating and pulling out the needles on a slant provides greater tearing action of the fibres and faster raising of the nap and more rapidly produces nap in the desired densities. The benefits resulting from the invention are particularly apparent in light weight fabrics and fabrics constructed of soft twist yarns, and the improved napping action has been found :to maintain a higher degree of'fabric strength and less flocking out of waste fibre.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Fabric napping mechanism comprising a plurality of laterally spaced rolls mounted for rotation on substantially parallel axes, a plurality of needles disposed in spaced relation around and along the rolls, said needles on each roll being anchored to and extending outwardly from the periphery of the roll and having hooklike free ends all pointing in the same direction circumferentially, a plurality of fabric guiding rolls disposed at opposite sides of the first named rolls in position to receive and guide a fabric strip extending transversely thereacross with a face thereof in contact with the needles about-an arcuate portion of each of the first named rolls and with said free ends of the needles extending in one direction longitudinally of the fabric strip engaged therewith, means for moving the strip longitudinally in the direction opposed to said free ends of the needles, and rolls respectively extending longitudinally along the first named rolls in position to have peripheral contact with a face of the fabric strip in opposed relation to the needles thereof and adapted to press the strip into penetrating contact with the needles and cause the needles to penetrate more deeply into the strip as the strip is drawn forwardly thereagainst.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 plus a frame supporting the last named rolls in said opposed relation to the needles, and means operative on the frame to vary is likewise vertically disposed in position to contact the rolls therein with the fabric strip above the rotary axes of the first named rolls.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 plus means for adjustably counterbalancing the Weight of the frame and its rolls. 1

5. The combination defined in'clairn 11 in which certain of the first named rolls are slightly inclined alternately to the right and left relative to the general direction of movement of the fabric strip and one of the first named rolls is disposed right-angularly across the path of movement of the strip between each two adjacent inclined rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,835 Blair May 16, 1905 1,368,096 Barker Feb. 8, 1921 1,569,785 Poetzsch Jan. 12, 1926 2,754,565 Hadley July 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 644,542 France June 11, 1928 1,218,238 France Dec. 14, 1959 

1. FABRIC NAPPING MECHANISM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED ROLLS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AXES, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION AROUND AND ALONG THE ROLLS, SAID NEEDLES ON EACH ROLL BEING ANCHORED TO AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLL AND HAVING HOOKLIKE FREE ENDS ALL POINTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION CIRCUMFERENTIALLY, A PLURALITY OF FABRIC GUIDING ROLLS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FIRST NAMED ROLLS IN POSITION TO RECEIVE AND GUIDE A FABRIC STRIP EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREACROSS WITH A FACE THEREOF IN CONTACT WITH THE NEEDLES ABOUT AN ARCUATE PORTION OF EACH OF THE FIRST NAMED ROLLS AND WITH SAID FREE ENDS OF THE NEEDLES EXTENDING IN ONE DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE FABRIC STRIP ENGAGED THEREWITH, MEANS FOR MOVING THE STRIP LONGITUDINALLY IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSED TO SAID FREE NEDS OF THE NEEDLES, AND ROLLS RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE FIRST NAMED ROLLS IN POSITION TO HAVE PERIPHERAL CONTACT WITH A FACE OF THE FABRIC STRIP IN OPPOSED RELATION TO THE NEEDLES THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO PRESS THE STRIP INTO PENETRATING CONTACT WITH THE NEEDLES AND CAUSE THE NEEDLES TO PENETRATE MORE DEEPLY INTO THE STRIP AS THE STRIP IS DRAWN FORWARDLY THEREAGAINST. 